LONDON − The exiled son of Iran's last shah − Persian for "king" − before he fled the 1979 Islamic Revolution called for Iran's theocratic regime and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to "step down" and "face justice."
Reza Pahlavi, 64, was heir to Iran's "Peacock Throne" when the dynasty led by his father, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was ousted. He lives in the United States and his supporters often refer to him as the "Crown Prince of Iran."
Pahlavi said during a press conference in Paris on June 23 that he was ready to help lead Iran "down a road of peace and democratic transition" and he claimed, without providing specific evidence, that he had seen credible reports that Khamenei and other senior Iranian regime officials were preparing to flee with their families as the United States has joined Israel's bombing campaign on Iran's nuclear facilities.
What is Iran's next move? World awaits response to U.S. bombing
"The military is fractured," Pahlavi said. "The people are united. The foundations of this 46-year tyranny are shaking. This is our Berlin Wall moment. But like all moments of great change, it comes with great danger."
